Month: October 2024

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Being A Dad To Foster Kittens Changes This Depressed Dog For The Better

A woman who used to foster dogs and cats is sharing the story of how foster kittens changed the life of her furry-friend who went from being “the saddest dog” to a playful and happy pooch.

Claudia Papp, or more famously known on her social media accounts as “houstonfosterdogmom”, is sharing the story of her rescue dog, Chapo, and how fostering kittens changed his life for the better.

Papp shares Chapo’s origin story and his “kitten medicine” in a series of TikTok videos she started uploading on September, during the pooch’s Gotcha Day anniversary.

Life was not as good to Chapo prior to meeting Papp. The dog spent four years chained up before animal control found him.

Papp shares with SWNS that because Chapo spent a long time chained in a yard and neglected, he had developed a skin infection, has intestinal worms, and a fractured set of teeth from chewing on his chain.

After being rescued, Chapo was sent to a kill shelter. Papp then saw a video of Chapo looking sad and immediately decided to foster him – giving Chapo a second chance at life, and at a loving forever home.

When Papp picked him up at the shelter where he came from, he was “the saddest dog on his last day [before being put down].”

Papp said, “For months, progress was slow and I began to worry about him.”

She then realized that the pooch liked the company of Papp’s cat.

@houstonfosterdogmom those kittens will never know how much they did for him, but Chapo is so grateful 🫶🏻 #hopecore #dogsoftiktok #kittensoftiktok #catsoftiktok #dogandkitten #pitty #transformation #rescuedog #thedodo #lovestory ♬ Jacob and the Stone (Slowed) – Emile Mosseri & sped up + slowed

“I decided to say “yes” to fostering a sick kitten and let Chapo help me take care of her,” she explains. “And then I realized Chapo was coming out of his shell because of her so I just kept fostering kittens for them, and for him.”

Papp fostered a total of six kittens for Chapo, “it was the medicine I never expected,” she said.

“Those kittens will never know how much they did for him, but Chapo is so grateful,” she wrote on a Tiktok video caption, which has now garnered over 2 million likes.

Papp also shares that Chapo is her 48th foster dog, “and the only foster I’ve ever adopted for myself,” she reveals.

She explains why Chapo was the only foster she decided to officially adopt, despite having fostered a lot of lovely dogs and cats.

“I’ve fostered a lot of animals and I’ve seen A LOT of trauma on these animals, but something about this dog… he is just absolutely magical and I couldn’t let him go.”

Today, Chapo has “officially made up for lost time”. He now lives a safe and happy life with Papp where he is able to run freely in his own backyard, be with friends (his foster kittens), and just be loved by his hooman every day.

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Man Asks Roommate To Move Out Because Of His Emotional Support Dog

A man is going viral on the famous Reddit community, “Am I The A**hole? (AITA)” after sharing his dilemma about telling his roommate to move out because of his emotional support dog.

In the 26-year-old man’s Reddit post, he shares that he has been roommates with a guy, he referred to as ‘Jake’ in the post, for about two years.

The man shares that Jake has been a decent roommate and they get along quite well, not until recently.

“Jake has struggled with anxiety for a while, and earlier this year, he got an emotional support dog, a small terrier mix,” The anonymous 26-year-old explains. “I was fine with it at first, even though I’m not a dog person, because I wanted to be supportive.”

But here’s where it gets bad – “this dog has turned my life upside down” the man admits.

Why, you might ask? Well, the man reveals that the dog is a very badly behaved dog. “It barks constantly when Jake isn’t home, chews on furniture, and has accidents all over the place,” the man explains.

The man said he had tried talking to Jake about the problem and has also offered a few solutions for Jake to correct the dog’s behavior.

“He’s always apologetic, but nothing really changes,” the man writes.

Furthermore, when presented with the options to correct the dog’s behavior, “Jake claims he can’t afford it.”

Man holding his dog
AJR_photo / Shutterstock.com

The issue has gotten so bad that the man dreaded coming home after a long day at work. He said, “I dread coming home because I know I’ll be dealing with the dog’s mess and noise.”

“I work long hours and really value my peace and quiet when I’m off, but that’s impossible now,” the man said.

So, the man addresses the elephant in the room with two choices that he thinks would solve both his and Jake’s problem: move out and find a new place or get rid of the dog.

However, Jake didn’t like both options, and got really upset with the man. “[He] said the dog is essential for his mental health, which I understand, but I didn’t sign up to live with a poorly behaved dog.”

The man then reveals that after asking Jake to move out or get rid of the dog, their relationship has been “super tense”.

He proceeds to say that Jake has been calling him heartless and is punishing him for needing support.

On top of that, a few of their mutual friends are siding with Jake, saying that the man should be more understanding since it’s a mental health issue.

However, the man said, “I feel like I’m sacrificing my own well-being here.”

The man now asks the AITA community, “Am I the A**hole?” which the community responded with a big NO.

One Reddit user wrote, “Tell all your friends they are welcome to let him and his poorly trained badly behaved dog move in. His mental health is not more important than yours!”

While another user pointed out the dog’s breed and how people don’t know how to choose the right kind of dog for their lifestyle. “Terriers do bark. They’re high energy and very sensitive if you don’t train them properly, it’s a nightmare,” they wrote.

Another Reddit user also pointed out how irresponsible Jake is as a pet owner. They said, “Jake isn’t being punished for having mental health needs, he’s experiencing to consequences of being an irresponsible pet owner who won’t train his dog.”

What do you guys think?

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10 Vet Reviewed Reasons You Should Not Spay or Neuter Your Dog

You have often heard that spaying or neutering your dog is absolutely necessary. The reasons supporting spaying or neutering your dog are compelling, including reducing overpopulation, minimizing health issues, and combating behavioral issues. However, as more people are beginning to realize, not all treatments suit every dog.

Before you make an irreversible decision for your dog, you need to be aware of some potential side effects that spaying or neutering may induce in your dog. Once you have all the information for and against this procedure, you can decide what is best for your dog.

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The 10 Reasons Not to Spay or Neuter Your Dog

1. It Can Cause Weight Gain

Spaying or neutering your dog leads to lower hormone levels. These hormones are often instrumental to your dog’s metabolic rate, and once they decrease, so does your dog’s metabolism. This leads to a decrease in energy.

If you overfeed or under-exercise your dog, there is a much higher chance that your dog will gain extra weight. In fact, spayed or neutered pets can be almost twice as likely to struggle with obesity. Additionally, post-surgery dogs may have an increased appetite, making it much easier to put on weight.

overweight black dog standing in the grass
Image Credit: Mary Swift, Shutterstock

2. There May Be Higher Chances of Torn Ligaments

Torn ligaments are painful and difficult injuries to recover from. If your dog tears a ligament in their leg, they will likely be unable to walk for more than a month after surgery.

Spaying or neutering your dog can increase the risk of these types of injuries. According to the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, spayed females are at the highest risk of suffering a torn ligament, while neutered males follow in second.1 Intact male dogs are at the lowest risk.

3. It Can Increase the Chances of Hip Dysplasia

If a dog is spayed or neutered too early, the risk of developing hip dysplasia increases. Hip dysplasia is a complication that results in the loosening and displacement of the hip joint. This leads to pain and dysfunction, such as limping, lameness, bunny-hopping, difficulty moving, and sitting awkwardly.

A study found that dogs castrated before a year of age were two times more likely to suffer from hip dysplasia.2

Certain dog breeds are at a higher risk of developing hip dysplasia, such as large breed dogs. If your dog is among these high-risk breeds, you may reconsider spaying or neutering.

hip dysplasia in dogs
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4. It May Cause Urinary Incontinence

A risk related to spaying and neutering is urinary incontinence, meaning you may need to anticipate more urinary accidents in the house than before. It has been shown that early spaying of females can increase the chances of urinary incontinence.

5. Your Dog May Develop Hypothyroidism

Since the procedure of spaying or neutering removes your dog’s gonads, your dog’s endocrine organs might also be affected.

According to the Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center, hypothyroidism may be more prevalent in spayed females and neutered males.3 This is a condition in which your dog does not produce enough thyroid hormones. Clinical signs associated with hypothyroidism include weight gain, lethargy, and chronic infections.

fat dog sleeping on couch
Image Credit: Valentina De Menego, Shutterstock

6. Chances of Developing Cancer May Increase

It may be scary to hear this, but there is a chance that spaying or neutering your dog may increase their odds of developing certain cancers. Spaying and neutering your dog can reduce certain types of cancers related to the reproductive system; however, the same procedure may introduce a higher risk of developing other cancers. For instance, spaying your female dog can make her five times more likely to develop cancer in her heart.

7. They Might Become More Likely to Suffer Anxiety

Studies have shown that neutering may be linked to higher levels of fear and anxiety in dogs. Common fearful behaviors in dogs include undesired urination or bowel movements, panting, pacing, destruction, and excessive vocalization.

dog getting destructive and biting the cushion
Image Credit: smrm1977, Shutterstock

8. Your Dog May Develop Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is a condition in which the pancreas is inflamed. This can lead to significant issues, such as appetite loss, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, lethargy, dehydration, and even irreversible damage to your dog’s digestive organs. According to a study published by the American Veterinary Medical Association, being spayed or neutered was one of the factors that increased the odds of pancreatitis in dogs.

9. Aggression Issues May Become Worse

Although it is often stated that neutering helps to quell aggressive behaviors, there has been conflicting evidence to the contrary in recent years. Some studies have indicated that neutering male dogs too early may lead to increased aggression.

Aggression is a serious issue. More than one million people are bitten by a dog each year. Likely, that number is much higher due to the number of unreported cases.

dog barking in the studio
Image Credit: OlgaOvcharenko, Shutterstock

10. It May Impact Your Dog’s Lifespan

It is frightening to think that spaying or neutering could negatively impact your dog’s lifespan, but there is some evidence to support the notion. One study performed on Rottweilers found that females who were spayed during the first 4 years of life had a reduced life expectancy. On the other hand, castrated dogs are more likely to live a longer life relative to their reproductively intact counterparts.

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Alternatives to Spaying and Neutering

After reading through some possible side-effects of spaying or neutering, you may be feeling hesitant about putting your dog through this procedure, even if you do not want them to be able to reproduce. Thankfully, there is an alternative option to spaying and neutering.

An ovariectomy is an alternative to spaying. In spaying, the ovaries and the uterus are removed, but an ovariectomy only removes the ovaries. On the other hand, a vasectomy is an alternative to neutering. These options offer you the ability to sterilize your dog with fewer effects on the production of hormones.

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Conclusion

Which procedure is best for your dog: spaying and neutering or ovariectomies and vasectomies? In truth, it is unclear which methods are best for your dog at this moment. Spaying and neutering may work well for some dogs, while alternatives may be necessary for others. In the end, your veterinarian can help you determine which surgery is ideal for your pet.

Sources

Featured Image Credit: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A, Shutterstock

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